Lake Placid 9er Hiking Challenge

I never grow tired of the beauty of these majestic mountains.

If I’m being honest, the Lake Placid 9 originally didn’t appeal to me. I love the brutal nature of a long day hike. Of miles and hours spent climbing a couple thousand feet for the triumphant feeling at the summit. Even if the view isn’t there.

I first heard about the Lake Placid 9 after hiking a couple of the ADK 46. I thought, why spend my limited time in these gorgeous mountains on very short hikes? Well it turns out, these short hikes sure know how to hold their own.

When mapping out my fall foliage adventures, I usually spend one weekend in the Adirondacks and the rest chasing the colors in New Hampshire. This year, after spending an early September weekend in the Adirondacks showing my parents the beauty New York has to offer, I decided to spend more time in upstate NY. Instead of New Hampshire. I know, I hardly recognized myself too.

My parents were up for a short hike, so I picked the shortest one of the Lake Placid 9: Cobble Hill. After this hike, I had an idea.

What if I combine my fall foliage chasing adventures with this short hiking challenge? It’d motivate me to get out there, and I’d gain more experience up in these rugged mountains. Plus, I’m a sucker for the foliage photos.

And thus began my multiple trips to Keene and Lake Placid, NY in September to October, with one final lap in November.

Over the span of 31.31 miles, I climbed 10,388 ft along these 9 summits. Here’s how I broke down the challenge:

1. Cobble Hill

Distance: 2.89 mi

Elevation Gain: 610 ft

Location: Lake Placid, NY

With my parents visiting for a short weekend, I wanted them to experience an ADK hike without too much exhaustion. Since we were staying in Lake Placid, I figured why not finally check out Cobble Hill.

We hiked the steep, shorter way up, and took the longer, gradual way down. I highly recommend this route because you get a bit of rock climbing with a rope ascending, but descend on a lovely trail walk next to a private pond. It’s a great way to get your feet wet starting out on this challenge!

My route to Cobble Hill is above.

2. Mt. Jo

Third trek up this mountain gave way to a new view!

Distance: 1.94 mi

Elevation Gain: 761 ft

Location: North Elba, NY

Technically this was my third time hiking up this mountain. Every time I hit the trail, my hope to find the iconic view is strong. This hope slowly withers away as I simply couldn’t find the lookout point.

After two failed attempts, I wasn’t leaving the summit this time around without seeing the heart-shaped lake in its entirety. Aptly named, Heart Lake. You’re in luck, because my determined self found it this time so you won’t have to hike up multiple times (unless you choose to!).

Mt. Jo is an extremely popular mountain because of the trails, location, and views. When you arrive at the ADK Mountain Club Loj, you’ll pay $15 as a non-member for a full day or $7 for a half day. Depending on the weekend, you may get lucky with an afternoon. If it’s peak foliage season on a late September or early October weekend, you may way to

After parking, you embark on a short traverse before finding two roads diverged in the woods. You can take the short way, or the long way. I’ve never taken the long way, but be prepared for some stairclimbing if you take the short route.

The trail is a swift one mile up, and I took the same route back. Stay cautious heading down on the rocks, especially if you’re taking this on in the fall where often times rocks are wet due to those rainy autumn forecasts.

Tip: The view at the summit isn’t the best view. The best view is easy to miss. When you’re near the ladders, there’s a trail a few steps away that is sure to give you a reason to love Mt. Jo.

My route is on the left.

3. Mt. Van Hoevenberg

Distance: 4.7 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,047 ft

Location: Lake Placid, NY

Mt. Van Hoevenberg has two trails to the summit: a newly constructed one, and the old one. I was already familiar with the ADK Loj area, so I chose the older path. The parking here is extremely limited – maybe less than ten cars can fit. I went at a less popular time of day, so it worked in my favor.

The distance of this hike is longer than Mt. Jo, but the first mile is a simple walk in the woods. It’s quite lovely! After climbing 1,000 feet in roughly a mile, expansive views of the valley open up. This hike is a true gem!

It’s definitely one I’d love to revisit in winter when the peaks are snow-capped. The trails are an out-and-back, unless you have another car to park on the ski area side where the new trail begins.

Here’s my route:

The trail to Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

4. Big Crow Mountain

A solo summit on a moody evening.

Distance: 1.34 mi

Elevation Gain: 610 ft

Location: Keene, NY

When I entered Keene for this hike, the clouds decided to join me. I knew it was a short distance, so I thought I’d knock it out and if I got a view, I’d be two for two. The parking lot for Big Crow is also the lot for one of the routes up Hurricane. An AWD vehicle would be best as the last mile felt a little sketchy in my RAV4, but still doable. This road isn’t maintained in the winter months, so get this hike in in the summer or fall from this trailhead.

A speedy, consistent climb of 600 feet in under three-quarters of a mile again opened to wide-scaping views of these mountains that are slowly feeling like home to me. I set up my tripod as the clouds rolled in, took a few pictures at the top, and headed back down.

I made a mental note to come back to hike Hurricane from this parking lot since I was now familiar with the drive up.

Here’s my route:

Route map above to Big Crow Mountain.

5. Baxter Mountain

Distance: 3 mi

Elevation Gain: 869 ft

Location: Keene, NY

After the stormy wonder of Big Crow, I knew I had to try out Baxter on this trip up to Lake Placid despite the rainy forecast. I woke up to the steady pitter-patter of raindrops. Contemplating just driving back home, I thought, why not just get out for a three miler?

I made my way over to Keene and parked along the road for this trailhead. The sprinkles fell from the sky and with each step, my disappointment of seeing a view grew. On the way to the summit, there are great viewpoints (arguably better than the summit!). For the fifth time on my Lake Placid 9er journey, I lucked out with the views.

Tip: Always go for it when there’s light rain and you don’t think you’ll get a view. You may just end up with this.

My route is on the right. The photos are where the viewpoints are.

If you’re tackling the challenge, head to the summit to say hello, then stop for the views on the way back.

6. Bear Den Mountain

Distance: 3.82 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,542 ft

Location: Wilmington, NY

The day I embarked up Bear Den was a toasty one. A crisp marshmallow in the campfire on a summer night. Quite the opposite of my previous visit to the mountains with the rainy hike up Baxter. Park at the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center and you’re right at the trailhead. The first mile of this hike doubles as a mountain biking route, so be aware if you have a furry friend with you. The trail’s switchbacks keep things interesting as you make your way up. Just tell yourself you’re almost there, trust me, it helps.

It doesn’t help, but every step is a step closer to the summit! I was in absolute awe atop the summit. The foliage, in unison with the summery weather, lit Whiteface Mountain on fire. It was incredible to gaze my eyes upon.

After awhile of solitude on the summit, I realized the group I passed quite some time ago never summited. As my mind pondered, my eyes wandered. A couple odd colors caught my eye. Those little dots were the other hikers! They had made their way to a rocky surface across the way.

I was curious where they had turned for that added bit of solitude (plus a different angle!). When I headed down, I realized this was another case of the Mt. Jo hidden treasure.

The view of Bear Den’s summit.

As you approach the Bear Den summit, you turn left. Instead, turn right at this sign. There is a very well-trodden trail that leads to that open-rock summit with these views of Bear Den’s summit.

Here’s my route, including the totally-worth-it right turn detour.

7.  Pitchoff Mountain

The famous Balanced Rocks!

Distance: 4.15 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,744 ft

Location: Lake Placid, NY

I was saving Pitchoff for a perfect day. The summit itself is hardly impressive, but a steady climb leads you there with views to the right of Cascade and Porter. It’s neat to see where you’ve hiked before.

After the summit, I returned back to finally see Balanced Rocks. It doesn’t look like much on the trail, but it’s another iconic view like Heart Lake from Mt. Jo. I’ve seen it from the road more times than I can count. Two rocks sit on a very open summit looking as if you could just flick them and they’d fall off. Almost like the Glen Boulder trail in the White Mountains.

Truly the perfect sunset hike in the Adirondacks.

You’ll have incredible water views from here, as well as a great shot of the Olympic jumping complex. It’s a phenomenal sunset spot if you decide to take this mountain on later in the day. The trail is easy to follow with a headlamp at night afterwards.

Here’s my route to both Pitchoff Mountain and Balanced Rocks.

8. Catamount Mountain

Distance: 4 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,624 ft

Location: Wilmington, NY

Oh, Catamount. When researching the Lake Placid 9, this hike was advertised as fun with a side of scary. I took this trail on thinking I’d get Catamount done by the early afternoon with enough time to also trek up Hurricane in the same day. This hike didn’t go as planned at all!

The elevation gain was serious and the hike feels very isolated on a weekday. The trail itself is well-marked and easy to follow. The “fun” comes into play when you’re closer to the summit and features all sorts of rocks to climb. Everyone’s favorite is this little sliver to climb up and through in order to continue the hike.

If I was alone, I think it would’ve felt more enjoyable, but when I hike with my dog, she occupies my mind. I worry about her moves and how she’s going to climb up. The drop is a little steep. After this point, the rest of the trail is smooth sailing.

I would advise against hiking this one on a rainy day, which the summit for me ended up being a little rainy. After eight summits out of nine, I was bound to have a clouded summit. It was fitting it was the toughest one for me! I was able to sneak a peek of what some of the summit views might’ve looked like on my descent.

My route to Catamount Mountain.

9. Hurricane Mountain

Incredible views all around atop Hurricane.

Distance: 5.47 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,581 ft

Location: Keene, NY

The final peak for me was Hurricane Mountain, and as I told myself a month earlier, I was going to park where I did for Big Crow. This trailhead is a popular summer one as it’s the shortest ascent to the famous Hurricane Mountain fire tower.

I made it just in time before winter entered the mountains and the road would have to be maintained (which it isn’t). At the end of November, I lucked out with a beautiful day to myself on this summit. I summitted swiftly, to my surprise. This hike turned out to be one of my favorites. Catamount for me came in as one with the most elevation gain, but Hurricane is the longest distance-wise. Though after hiking the NH 48 and a few of the ADK 46, a 5.5 mile hike feels light in my mind.

Maybe it was the solitude, or the fire tower, or even the fact that it was shoulder season, so all the foliage chasers sat this one out that day. Whatever it was, it sure felt good to end in this moment.

The hike up Hurricane Mountain offers incredible views from the summit, as well as from the fire tower.

My very straightforward route is on the left.

Are you ready for a winter challenge? Take on the Lake Placid 9 in the winter months to earn a special patch for the added difficulty of navigating winter.

Would you hike these nine mountains? Let me know!

4 Tips for Taking the Best Foliage Photos in New England

When I moved to New England, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into with seasons. In Texas, we’re either in summer or a chillier version of summer. What I wasn’t ready for is just how stunning fall can be. Contrastly, it can also be very difficult to decipher how to photograph such beautiful scenes.

In the last five autumns I’ve spent chasing the foliage in New England and upstate New York, I’ve come up with a handful of tips through long drives, failed hikes, and hidden gems of how to find the best photos of foliage. My pictures below are from the Adirondacks, which isn’t technically New England as it’s in New York, but given the proximity to the other mountains I frequent, the foliage timing and tips are very similar.

Here are my tips for how to take the best fall foliage photos in the Northeast:

1. If the weather is gloomy, it’s still worth making the trip.

The rain stopped when I reached the summit of Baxter Mountain and the clouds were sweeping through the layers and layers of mountains.

I used to only hike in what I considered ideal weather conditions. It had to be a sunny or clear sky, or absolutely no chance of rain. You wouldn’t catch me hiking in the rain. Wet socks, potentially wet camera gear – not my idea of a good time.

Last weekend, I was eager to get back to the Adirondacks. The only setback was a 100% chance of showers from when I arrived late Friday night to when I was leaving Sunday afternoon. I could’ve canceled. I could’ve stayed in western Massachusetts and shifted gears.

Instead, north I drove. Rainy weather has a unique way of bringing out foliage. It’s the weather of autumn and I’m embracing it this year, instead of turning away from it. Rain brings moodiness to the mountains with low moving clouds. I’m gravitating more toward this moodiness over bluebird days because you can’t plan for this scenery. It just happens because you went out and took a chance.

A cloudy day when the clouds break to let the sunlight in makes for one of my favorite views.

2. Hike lower elevations.

You don’t need to pick a 16-mile, 2,000 foot elevation gain hike to see the foliage. A drive through Lake Placid will easily give you the fall vibes! I highly recommend finding short hikes in the area you want to explore. Often times, they may not be as popular as most people are chasing a hiking list of the high peaks.

If you’re looking at the White Mountains, find a hike in the Lakes region or a less popular hike like Welch and Dickey. Shorter hikes often have parking more available as hikers head in and out at a faster pace. If you’re looking at the Adirondacks, the Lake Placid 9 (9 peaks around Lake Placid) are definitely worthwhile.

When I say hike low, I mean you don’t need to aim for 4,000 footers. Unless you want to! I decided to chase the foliage this year, and not the high peaks for autumn views.

Aerial views provided by reaching the summit of Baxter Mountain.

Don’t be fooled at these lower elevation hikes. The gain is still sweat-breaking! On some of the Lake Placid 9 hikes, you’re gaining 700-800 feet in a mile. Impressive for a 2-3 mile roundtrip hike.

Incredible views after a short hike up Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

3. Pull over when you see a worthwhile view.

There are so many incredible spots around the mountains to pull over safely and snap a photo. Think: rivers, trees, and small towns. Two weekends ago, as I was driving from Lake Placid to Wilmington, I saw a fishing spot that looked scenic.

A beautiful view of Whiteface Mountain from a parking spot at a fishing spot.

I pulled over next to a few fishermen, headed down the bank, and snapped a few shots of falls with foliage galore.

Lake Placid added a new lookout point along Mirror Lake. I stopped when I saw this view while driving by.

4. Don’t expect the perfect shot.

Most photographers edit their photos with fancy programs, so don’t go in thinking you’ll have an incredible aerial view of a mountain lake from a summit. Professional photographers are very good at their jobs – and editing is part of that!

The weather during fall is also very unpredictable. Even if the forecast calls for clouds, you may end up with constant downpour. If it calls for rain, you might get sunburnt because the sun will come out. You never know what you’re going to get – so get out there and be prepared!

Autumn is the perfect season for those moody mountain pictures. In these last couple trips, I’m more and more welcoming of clouds and rainy weather!

A rainy day led to an opening of the skies at the summit of Big Crow mountain.

Last weekend, I planned to call it quits early because of the nonstop rain. Instead, I tied my laces and headed up one of the Lake Placid 9 in Keene, New York. The rain had miraculously ceased and from the skies the clouds parted. I was enamored with foliage views for miles. And mountains immersed in the clouds. Had I just headed home early, I would’ve missed this view.

It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t the view I had seen when researching this hike. To me, it’s the perfect shot to remember the awesome feeling of a new experience hiking solo in new places.

Do you go leaf peeping? What tips would you offer someone trying to see all that foliage has to offer?